search
I spoke with people working in hi-fi to get a sense for how the industry is evolving. Here's one way: Some companies at the market's higher end are eschewing the traditional distribution model, in which a domestic company serves as middleman for products from overseas, buying and reselling inventory to dealers and then providing support. In the newer model, distribution services are provided by the overseas manufacturing company itself, either directly or via a US subsidiary. Brinkmann, dCS, Estelon, Gryphon, and T+A employ variations on the model. Some of these companies outsource public…
This morning, I received an email from John, my DIY friend in Europe, saying how happy he was. He had just finished building a new power amplifier using two UcD250LP class-D amplifier modules. He described the results as "quiet, clear, clean, effortless class-D power," adding, "What more could I ask for?"
I am slow on the uptake, so I thought my friend's question was sincere, not rhetorical. Moments later it hit me: This is a question I should try to answer in this review of the Rogue Audio Pharaoh II amplifier. Beyond the virtues John described, what more, indeed, could we ask for?…
Monday morning, I put on an RTI promo-copy test pressing of Promises, a composition by Sam Shepherd (known as Floating Points), performed by Shepherd on keyboards, Pharoah Sanders on saxophone, and the string section of the London Symphony Orchestra (LP, Luaka Bop LB97LP180). I was impressed by how warm, clear, supple, and flowing this recording sounded. Promises is a finely wrought sound collage: Sanders, Shepherd, and the LSO strings were each recorded in a different city and mixed later by Shepherd. The sound was elegant and pristine, with exquisite fine detailing set against silent…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Hybrid (tube preamplifier/class-D amplifier) integrated amplifier. Power output: 250Wpc into 8 ohms (24dBW)/400Wpc into 4 ohms (23dBW). Frequency response: 5Hz–20kHz, ±1dB. Phono section gain: 40dB/63dB. Input sensitivity: 1.0V RMS. Power requirements: 115/230V–50/60Hz.
Dimensions: 18.25" (463mm) W × 6.5" (165mm) H × 18" (457mm) D. Weight: 39lb (17.7kg).
Finish: Black or silver brushed aluminum.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 0789.
Price: $3995, with remote volume control. Approximate number of dealers: 50. Warranty (with submission…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Dr. Feickert Analog Blackbird turntable with Schick 10.5" tonearm, Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum with Koetsu SUT, My Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent Ex powering Sutherland Engineering Little Loco phono stage, Music Hall Stealth turntable with Ortofon 2M Black, Grado Platinum3 (low output), Goldring Eroica HX moving magnet cartridges.
Digital sources: Roon Nucleus+ music server; Denafrips Terminator Plus and HoloAudio Spring 3 D/A processors; dCS Bartók DAC/streamer.
Preamplifier: HoloAudio Serene.
Aamplifiers: Parasound Halo A 21…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed the measurements of the Rogue Audio Pharaoh II with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. As the Rogue's output stages operate in class-D, all the measurements other than frequency and RIAA responses were taken with Audio Precision's auxiliary AUX-0025 passive low-pass filter, which reduces the level of noise above 80kHz and eliminates noise above 200kHz. Without the filter, 376mV of ultrasonic noise was present at the loudspeaker terminals, with a center frequency of 428kHz.
Looking first at the line-level inputs, the Rogue Pharaoh II preserved…
Checking in exclusively with the producers behind the massive new box set for Queen's stunning May 1989 album The Miracle, to learn why you'll want it all—and you'll want it now.
Queen's 13th studio album, May 1989's The Miracle, has been long overdue for a proper reassessment, and a new eight-disc box set from Hollywood Records dubbed The Miracle Collector's Edition enables our finely attuned ears to do just that. Content supervisors Kris Fredriksson and Justin Shirley-Smith, along with their Miracle Sessions co-producer Joshua J. Macrae, recently all got on the line with me from across…
Queen: The Miracle Collector's Edition
8-disc box set (1LP/5CD/1DVD/1BD)
Hollywood Records
OVERALL RATING: 4½ out of 5 stars
Queen was still on fire as the 1980s came to a close. After taking a three-year break following the crest of their Live Aid/A Kind of Magic combo carpet ride, Queen dropped album No. 13, May 1989's The Miracle—a vibrant 10-track collection that fused the best of the four-piece British band's inherently anthemic nature ("I Want It All") alongside of-era production elements, albeit sometimes with a feisty twist ("Scandal"). And now, a new 13…
The Warsaw Show's Adam and Gabriella Mokrzycki
I'd heard many times over the years that the Warsaw Show—officially called Audio Video Show 2022—was a "great" show. But that gives barely a hint of the special nature of this show, the second largest audio show in Europe.
Did you know that there are at least 50 and perhaps 100 Polish manufacturers of audiophile hi-fi equipment? It isn't just components: At the show, I encountered many Polish companies that make fantastic cables, room treatments, and power conditioners. Throw in headphone amplifiers and home theater, neither of which…
Bay Area-based Parasound, known for reasonably priced audio components, especially those designed by John Curl, is under new ownership. The new owner, David Sheriff, an entrepreneur who specializes in product growth and supply chain management, has pledged to maintain Parasound's reputation for excellence while shepherding the company to "take the next step."
In a conversation with Stereophile, Sheriff, previous Parasound owner Richard Schram, and Jeanie Schram, Richard's life partner, discussed the reasons for the shift and Sheriff's plans for the company.
"At 76, it's…